König Roger

Hearing and seeing Szymanowski's 'King Roger' for the first time recently, it compares extremely favourably among the other first time operatic viewings/hearings recently.

While it is one of Szymanowski's better-known works, it is not very well-known and while it may not be for all tastes it does deserve to be better known. Szymanowski's music is incredibly intriguing and not as inaccessible as initially feared, with plenty of rich sounds, hypnotically beautiful and intensely haunting sections, also surprisingly tuneful for a period when Expressionism was at its peak. While it is slightly static in places, the story is almost always compelling with some fascinating ideas and is easy to follow, even the ambiguous ending.

This 2009 Bregenz production is very interesting, very well performed and very good, and mostly serves the opera well. It's just that there is a personal preference for the recent Royal Opera House, Covent Garden production (one of their best in a long time), which had no staging miscalculations and was more interesting visually with very rich but incredibly striking use of symbolism. This is a very good performance, its best components absolutely great, but for me there were a couple of visual and staging miscalculations.

Visually, the production is on the most part fine. Set-wise it is very simple, with a plain white amphitheatre present throughout. This may sound dull, but actually it is made more interesting by some of the most gorgeously imaginative lighting effects, without ever becoming hyperactive, of any recent viewing for an opera production. Most of the costumes are appropriate and not distasteful or ugly. The exceptions are Roxana's concentration camp inmate-like look, which was just perplexing and was crying out for some kind of justification that the production robbed us of, and the Shepherd's very over-the-top red dress (and how he's made to pose), it just doesn't belong in 'King Roger' from personal opinion.

Staging is on the most part very detailed, cohesive, thrillingly disturbing and very gripping. First time viewers may find it static at first but that's perhaps the fault of the story, remember this is an example of an opera where much of the action is in the music itself. There is some very inventive use of blocking, that for the chorus is particularly noteworthy. Unfortunately things fall apart in Act 3, where the action falls into distaste and tack with what going on on stage irrelevant to the libretto. The ending manages to be incomprehensible.

Bregenz's production of 'King Roger' is well served on DVD. The video directing captures all the action while also allowing intimacy, while the picture quality is clear and well-lit with no trouble had making things out and such. The sound is mostly good and resonant, though slightly lacking immediacy and with the odd balance issue and delay.

Musically, the production is outstanding. The orchestral playing is as extravagant as Szymanowski's music, and they practically luxuriate in it while also giving intensity and urgency. The chorus are on top form vocally and look constantly engaged with their music and staging. Mark Elder clearly enjoys the music and doesn't rush through it, yet he always keeps the pulse and motion going. Scott Hendricks is terrific in the title role, the voice is of a sonorous quality, and dramatically it's often magnificent with the increasing torment raised to almost fever-pitch in the most intense and poignant of ways.

Olga Pasichnyk is a sensuous and deeply felt Roxana, and has some really ravishing quiet passages, mostly she sings with a glittering tone though flexibility isn't always a strong suit. Will Hartmann is a superbly confident Shepherd, and looks and sounds like a god. The role of Edrisi is very well filled by John Graham-Hall.

In conclusion, very interesting and well-performed but with a few unfortunate miscalculations in the visuals and staging. It is not as good as the Royal Opera House performance but is a very worthy watch on DVD. 7/10 Bethany Cox